Exploring Chicago’s WNDR Museum

Four young people posing inside of a room designed with glowing hexagons. The group is split into pairs with one pair looking larger than the other pair.
Unlike other universities, DePaul students typically don’t have classes on Fridays, giving us not just an extra day of rest, but an extra day of fun and exploration around the city. Since coming to DePaul, many of my Fridays have been dedicated towards checking out different spots in Chicago. Lucky for us, the city seems to be filled with endless things to do that would fill up any itinerary. One category of Chicago’s attractions is its museums, and one of my personal favorites is WNDR Museum located in the West Loop.

Promoting a Sense of Wonder

Guided by its mission to promote playfulness, creativity, community, and, of course, wonder, WNDR Museum takes guests through an immersive art experience filled with more than 15 installations that rotate and switch occasionally, making for new experiences each time I have gone. Each installation has an incredibly unique concept that has left me in awe or feeling inspired. As someone who loves a good photo opportunity too, the museum is full of aesthetic and visually-interesting moments that have my friends and I stopping to take photos every step of the way. I had the opportunity to bring my out-of-state friends to the city for my birthday and the WNDR Museum was one of our most memorable parts of their visit. Our mind-blowing picture inside of WNDR’s famous illusion room still makes us laugh till this day.

 

 

A girl in a polka-dot dress posing in front of a wall with a sunset lamp shining a colorful aura light on her.
Pads of paper with different quotes written by people hanging on a wall.

But besides its aesthetic nature, the ability to interact and fully-immersive yourself in the art is, in my opinion, the best part of the entire experience and why WNDR is able to leave such a lasting impression on me during the past times that I have gone. A staple, and my personal favorite installation, of the museum is the The Wisdom Project. In the middle of your journey, you come across a wall filled with notes covered in various responses written by past guests. The question they were asked to respond to was simply “what do you know for sure?,” and of course, you are encouraged to answer the question yourself and share it anonymously with the rest of the community. I love spending a good portion of my time reading these pieces of vulnerability, emotion, positivity, inspiration, advice, knowledge, and uplifting support written by strangers. And vice versa, I also appreciate how the installation grants me the chance to reflect and feel as though I get to contribute to the installation’s purpose.

 

 

Bringing Out My Inner Child Through Art

My last observation about this museum is the way in which it really allows you to be in touch with your inner child in ways that uplift you and encourage creativity. While my friends and I were making our way through the building, we found ourselves dancing inside of the immersive rooms, drawing on the walls with neon pens filled with disappearing ink, getting giddy over typed-out compliments that were given to us by a randomly-generated Compliment Machine, and feeling overflowed with excitement and giddyness over each installment. Not only is this place meant to showcase beautiful art made by renowned artists, but also to nurture our natural childlike curiosity.

A clear, glowing box with a small machine inside called the compliment machine.
People sitting at the Lakefront Trail in Chicago with a cloudy sky at sunset looking over Lake Michigan.

Chicago has an abundance of options for DePaul students when it comes to things to do and places to see whenever we have a free day to wander. WNDR has always been a little hidden gem of mine that I now want to share with you. If you’re looking for another incentive to make that visit, know that WNDR also has a student discount that is worth taking advantage of! So if you’re looking for a bit of an escape and want to get lost in a world of art, consider the WNDR Museum for your next city adventure.

 

                                    ~Sam

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